The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-05-12
APOLITICAL ROUNDUP,
Ex-senator Armstrong on Prohl-
bition and the Next PresI-
Dental Election.
Interesting Opinions From an Old
Time Democratic War
Horse.

/ cared that he was not only surprised but
! delighted with what he had seen.
A representative of The STATESMAN
| found the senator at the Driskill, the CEN
ter of a group OF gentlemen with
whom he was pleasantly chatting.
Awaiting his chance The SrATEsMAN's in
terviewer baited his hook with flesh re-
mark concerning the prohibition cam
paign, and then watched for a nibble.
The bait was taken, for Mr.. Armstrong is
an out and out an;i-prohibitionist, and
does not hesita to express his sentiments
unreservedly and unqualitiedly. He an
swered the suggestion by saying that
Texas was now just beginning to get
taste of what Missouri has had to feed
upon for three or four years. why"
said he, Il am not young man by any
means, as my grey hairs will attest, and
have seen these isms come up before, and
/ know from experience just what this
movement implies. And yet 1t Is sought
to say that it is not political
question. II is distinct ISSUE
with distinct platforms, national and
state; with presidential and state tickets
in the field, opposed to the two existing
parties, and if these facts do not make 1t
a political question. then | mast confess
that the forty years of my life spent in
politics have been spent to little purpose.
| All talk about its being nothing more
than a moral question Is nonsense. Three
years ago in our state the effort was made
to bring the prohibition question before
the legislature. It failed by a large ma
| iority, but next year the advocates of the
measure were on hand again and with in
creased force. 1t WAS defeated second
time, and last year the same old question,
the same old advocates, reinforced
by new ones, were knocking at the legl5
lative doors, vii IN pre- hi0ltlOn amend
ment to be tackled on the constitution.
And that is not all of it. In the house,
the amendment was adopted by vote of
three or four to one, and it was killed III
the senate by very small majority
Senator Coke informs me that your last
democratic state convention compromised
the question by declaring that it Was not
a party issue. 1t is not for me to say
what view it is proper for the democracy
of Texas to take touching the subject,
but we in Missouri regard it as a politi-
cal question, and propose to combat the
prohibition party just as we do the
rHDuOllCduS. ne LldNUGE Will up DO-
fore the next Legislature as sure as
fate. And you will find it the
same way down here. Whip them
ever so badly, and they will come back at
you the very fl st opportunity that is pre-
scented"
You must regard the prohibition
movement as a growing one, then, Sen
atur?"
II unquestienably do, and l base my
belief on the facts of history. 1t is one
of those fanatical isms which appeals to
the sympathies and enlists the preachers
and the women in a moral cause and
they once enlisted, will never let up until
death relieves them from the yoke of their
labors. 1t has not been so many years
gone by, that some of us cannot remem-
Der the beginning of the abolition move
ment. 1t was one of these self-same issues,
started by two or three fanatlcal
preachers and encouraged by lot of
women. 1t gathered strength AS it moved
aud all the while it was merely moral
question. There was nothing political
in it. The churches led the crusade, and
the good sisters devOtedly and devoutly
worked fancy articles TO be sold or rallied
at the church fairs to raise money in aid
of the great moral, anti slavery move
ment. The abolition ball increased in
size as it rolled along, and in course of time
the anti-slavery men began TO hold con-
ventions, to set forth declarations of prin
ciples and to put out candidates for politi-
cal offices. Is there any living man to-
day who will say that the aboli-
ton party was not political
party, and that Wendell Philips, VIM.
Lloyd Garrison, Thad Stevens, Charles
Sumner, Horace Greeley and other origi
nal abolitionists, were not politicians?
History repeats itself and the history of
the abolition movement is being repro
duced TO day in the prohibition movement,
and in my opinion it is folly to declare it
a non-political question. The sooner it
is met as political issue, the better it
will be-"
"If the prohibition party is liable to in
crease its members aud its influence as
you predict, from what source will it draw
its strength"
principally from the democratic party,
sir-from the democratic party. Ia
1876 there was no prohibition
question, anc in our state, Governor
Phelps received democratic majority of
over 10000. In 1854, eight years later,
General Marmaduke was elected governor
by All majority. Where had the differ
ence gone, do you ask: The prohibition
party had sprung up in the meantime,
and that is what caught them
"Well, if the assertions from the ranks
of democracy are as heavy As You count
them, will not the party be severely Grip
Piled in the next national campaign"
Undoubtedly sir, it will, and il behooves
US 10 move with the greatest degree of
judgment, ana count every point of van
tage that can be secured"
us Mr.. Cleveland the man to lead the
democracy to victory next year."
mo, sir, he is not. l do not believe tina:
Mr.. Cleveland will be the nominee of the
party a second time; but, if he is. he will
be defeated as surely as was Martin Van
Buren,, and as badly.
"What will cause this reyulsion of feel
ing!"
Mr.. Cleveland is not in sympathy with
the western democracy, on the money
question, tariff reform or civil service. He
is too closely allied with Wall Street aud
the democracy of the east TO hold a strong
place in the affections or sympathies OF
the west
where will the democracy go then to
find successful LEADER"
STba ,avt dap,ocratic nras;dap. will